


Player Two

by Fuffywumple



Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator Dark Fate
Genre: AU, Dani is a surgeon, F/F, Fluff, Grace is a dumb jock, I'm just so glad I get to write dumb jock grace, Kinda, Modern AU, One-Shot, Recreational Drug Use, Stoner Grace Harper, Vague Trauma, alcohol use, because of the whole 'saving the human race thing', it's been a dream, late night gaming, oh yeah this is an AU btw, pining?, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuffywumple/pseuds/Fuffywumple
Summary: "Dani and Grace are neighbours, and Grace keeps waking Dani up by setting a really loud alarm in the middle of the night. Why they do this is up to you."A prompt I got a while ago from prompts.neocities.org (which I now know is no longer up, if anyone knows of it's current state, please let me know) and I finally decided to write it.
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	Player Two

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Hi. It's been a long long time since I've done a one-shot, and I figured I'd get started on a prompt I got a long while ago, but haven't really dug into until now. I really hope this hasn't been done before, I don't read the tag often, so I'm a little oblivious as to what works are posted. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this short fic I sat and wrote today.

With every fiber of her being, Dani willed it not to happen. When she got back to her apartment at midnight, tossing aside her boots and scrubs, she prayed that night would be one the exception, just like she did every damn night.

But, just like clockwork, when the clock struck 3:00AM, the ungodly sound of a beeping alarm clock shot through Dani’s apartment walls. She jolted from her sleep, as if she was surprised by the noise she heard every damn night, she was surprised that her body hadn’t gotten used to the wake up call yet, as it happened every night without fail.

_ BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEP. _

_ BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEP. _

What kind of alarm clock was that loud, anyway? And who other than a corpse would need it that loud? Despite the relatively thick walls between apartments, the beeping of the alarm clock bled straight through and violated Dani’s ears. She could feel the soundwaves in her chest, vibrating her bones and organs until her body became alive with the sound. Dani considered just brushing the noise off, as she had been doing lately. If she ignored it for around half an hour, it would either stop on its own, or another neighbour would get the job done.

Dani didn’t have half an hour, though. She needed to be at work in two hours, as they had her working a  _ triple  _ shift, yet again. The hospital had been seeing a spike in admittance from violent incidents, like gunshot wounds or deep lacerations. The police department had addressed the rising crime rate the other day, but Dani didn’t pay any mind to what the pigs had to say. Her job was saving the people that came in, not what happened to them out there.

Dani hated getting up to deal with it herself, as most times she got the impression that’s what her neighbour wanted her to do. It felt like a trap, like something meant to draw Dani in, but she didn’t even know why that would be, she had close to no contact with any of her neighbours, anyway. She hadn’t the faintest clue as to why one of them would be trying to piss her off.

Rising from her bed, Dani scrambled to find any pants and shirts she could, as storming to confront her neighbour in boxers and a bra didn’t seem like the wisest choice. In the darkness, Dani’s hands ended up grabbing sweatpants, and an old University T-shirt with holes riddled in the fabric.

The exhaustion, mixed with ear splitting noises made Dani dizzier than the one night she had five tequila drinks after passing her final exam, and puking in a back alley just before sunrise. Thinking about the memory didn’t help, but rather made her stomach churn and twirl. 

Once Dani got her footing, she went straight for the apartment door, tearing it open with all the force in her body. It was too early for Dani to be moving around with this much rage built up in her gut, but she had enough of whatever kind of stunt this was, she was going to go over there, and stick it to the asshole of a neighbour she had,  _ one last time _ before taking it up with the landlord.

Getting closer to the next room, Dani heard another noise mingling with the alarm… it was tough to hear over the screeching of the beeps, but it resembled heavy metal, and the occasional gunshot. Was her neighbour playing games, too? The tired surgeon’s rage grew hotter.

When Dani’s fist found the neighboring door, she slammed her fist against it over and over, trying to drown out the competing sounds. For a moment, it seemed like her efforts were going to go ignored, leaving Dani with nothing but rage and an injured fist, but the sound of the game stopped, a few things cluttered to the ground, then the lock to the apartment door clicked open.

A whiff of weed and body odor was the first thing that Dani experienced when the door opened, the next was a tall blonde woman looking down at her. Grace, the woman’s name was, or, that’s what she  _ thought  _ it was. The rather handsome woman leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms and taking in the view before her. She had a scar just below her eye that trailed off under her ear and down her jaw. Dani never asked where it came from (she had only spoken to Grace five times in total) but she could tell from the scar tissue that it was a wound carved with intent, but not by any professional.

“‘Sup?” Grace asked, the smirk on her face driving Dani wild.

Dani had to restrain herself to not snap at the audacity of this asshole, “‘Sup’? I have to work a thirty hour shift at the hospital starting tomorrow, is what’s up, okay? Turn that goddamn alarm off before I report you to Sarah, because I will.”

Grace just stared down at the woman, her jaw working like there was a piece of gum being grinded between her teeth, “Is that even ethical?”

It took a few moments for Dani to register the question. She wasn't expecting  _ that  _ to be how she was greeted, so she had to act fast, “Hell yeah it is. It would be less ethical to not report you, and let you keep-”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the reporting.” Grace interrupted, like it was her  _ job  _ to ignore the fact that Dani was speaking, “I meant the ‘thirty hour shift’ thing. Can they ethically make you work that long?”

“Doesn’t matter if I volunteered to do it.”

Grace chuckled, “Why would you volunteer for that?”

“Because, I-’ Before Dani launched into her counter attack, she remembered why she was there. The  _ still  _ blaring alarm was burrowing into her senses, blocking out any chance of her focusing, “this isn’t about me. I came here to tell you to turn that damn alarm off.”

The taller woman seemed genuinely shocked, “What, that? Hm, guess I barely noticed it.”

Dani felt a growl in the back of her throat, “Shut it off, or I’m telling Sarah.”

“All right, all right.” Grace conceded, but then she paused, “under one condition.”

The exhausted surgeon didn’t have the  _ time  _ for this. She shifted her weight back and forth, “Fine. What?”

Grace smirked, I had fallen right into her trap, “Come on in, play a game with me.”

Dani’s jaw went slack, “You’re serious?”

“As a heart attack!” Grace placed her hand on her chest, seeming wounded.

That was really the last thing Dani wanted to be doing. She would have rathered to punch Grace out, then turn off the alarm herself and go back to bed, but based on Grace’s size and frame, Dani would sooner break her own hand than injure Grace’s warrior-like body. And, you know, she’d rather not start a fight, get assault charges, and do anything that required more than a moderate amount of energy.

“Fine.”

“Awesome.” Grace chirped, then stepped aside to let Dani in.

It was very unsurprising to Dani, that upon walking into the apartment, it was a mess. Pizza boxes, beer bottles, bongs, et cetera, it was a nightmare to just look at, Dani couldn’t imagine actually having to  _ live  _ in it.

“Don’t mind the mess.” Grace said, “it’s actually easy to accommodate.”

The sickening beeps finally ended, and Dani felt free from the ear splitting pain they caused. She opened her mouth, rolling her jaw around a little bit to stop the ringing in her ears. After almost tripping over an empty carton of milk, Dani swore to herself, and looked over at Grace, who seemed carefree, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.” Grace seemed eager.

For a moment, Dani wasn’t sure how to phrase the question, “What do you, uh, do?”

Grace’s perked eyebrow indicated her confusion.

“Like, for a living. How do you make money?”

The taller woman laughed, “Right. Well, I’m not a doctor, I can tell you that much.”

“Surgeon.” Dani corrected, “and I asked you what you do, not what you don’t do.”

“Tsk.” Grace gave Dani a bit of a warning look, then settled back on to her couch, “feisty, huh? I’m a personal trainer.”

“Fitting.”

“People pay me to get them jacked out, and I also get a bit of jacking out in the process.” Grace seemed proud of herself, flexing her right arm. Dani couldn’t help but sneak a peek, and she was right, the muscles in her arm were straining against the fabric of her long sleeve.

Peeling her eyes away, Dani distracted herself, “Can I ask another question?”

Grace pulled a joint out of her pocket, “As long as you curb the attitude.”

Dani’s face went red, she almost snapped at Grace, but didn’t want to cause an argument, “Why do you do this every damn night?”

“Do I have to have a reason?” Grace lit her joint, shrugging.

Dani scoffed, “Yeah. Plus, I’m sure the other neighbours around here hate you for this.”

“What, Gabe?” Grace took a puff, “he loves it.”

On cue, an angry voice on the other side of the left wall yelled, “if I hear that goddamn alarm one more time, I’ll go in there and rip your heart out myself!”

“Loves it.” Grace flicked her ashes on to the carpet.

“Right.” Dani decided that she wasn’t up for any more antics, the less time wasted, the better. “Now, about this game…?”

Perking up, Grace grabbed a second controller, and threw it to Dani. With fast reflexes, the shorter woman grabbed it from the air and tucked it into her chest, treasuring how warm it was. She held it for a few moments, then stepped towards the couch while Grace wiped a few pieces of popcorn off of the surface to make room for her guest.

Dani looked at the screen, piecing together the old time graphics. Once she did, the recognition came in fast, “ _ Doom _ ?”

“So you’ve played it?”

“Yeah.” Dani shook her head, “years ago. My brother got it for his birthday once. My parents said I was too young to play it, but after school, while they were still at work, he would let me play for…” Dani trailed off. It wasn't cocktail hour. Plus, it was a memory she only liked to visit when she was in the grieving mood.

“And?” Grace tried to prompt Dani.

A new edge developed in Dani’s voice, “And nothing. Is this all I have to do? Just play, then I can go back to bed?”

Grace’s spunk died down, “Yeah. That’s it.”

“Easy peasy.” Dani said, rolling her shoulder while Grace set up a deathmatch game. Once again, she snuck a glance at Grace’s body, noticing even more scars sticking out from the cuff of her shirt, running along her hand. Looked like Grace also had a part of herself she kept hidden, but she was a bit more cheery about her skeletons in the closet.

“Head in the game!” Grace said, knocking Dani’s vision back to reality, to see that she was under attack. Watching the health meter drop, Dani kicked into autopilot, and hid fled to a corner of the map.

After the dust settled, Grace spoke, muffled by the blunt she had tucked in her mouth, “Want a beer?”

“No, thanks.” Dani declined, busy thinking of a strategy.

“A joint, then?” Grace offered.

“Do you know what that does to your lungs?”

“Sure as fuck do.” She took a long drag from her joint, puffing the smoke out of her nose and letting it twirl into the air.

There was no way Sarah let her toke up in here without consequence. Dani remembered getting a pretty big slap on the wrist for burning incense the first month she was there. The landlord there was… interesting. Old, strict, and doesn’t take any shit. It was a surprise that Grace wasn’t evicted with this kind of behaviour. Dani wasn’t around too much, though, so she had no idea what kind of spats Grace and Sarah got into on the daily.

“Can’t hide forever.” Grace taunted, leaning into her controller. A small flame grew in Dani’s chest, and she found her buttonfalls getting heavier. Grace wanted a challenge? She’d be getting one, then.

Popping out from a corner, Dani fired at Grace with the gun she had. The blonde yelped in surprise, her joint dropping to the floor. A bubble of laughter rose up Dani’s throat as she watched Grace pick up the joint with haste, but it was already too late, Dani had her victory.

“No fair!” Grace shouted.

Dani dropped the controller, “Totally fair. Now, I’m going back to bed.”  
Desperate, Grace placed her arm on Dani’s wrist, “Wait.”

Looking into Grace’s eyes, how they pleaded to her, it all made sense to Dani. Instead of jerking her hand away from Grace, which was her first instinct, she held it closer.

“You’re lonely.” Dani said.

“What are you talking about?” Grace replied, acting flippant.

The pieces were fitting themselves together in Dani’s still sleepy brain, “You’re trying to get someone to play with you. That’s why you blair that alarm, isn’t it?”

Grace scoffed, but she held onto Dani’s wrist.

“But…” Dani kept going, “even when Gabe, Sarah, or any others come to stop you… it still keeps going. You don’t even let them in, do you?”

“No.” Grace gave up her offence.

“So, this is all for me, isn’t it?” Dani made her final deduction.

Grace nodded.

Shocked that she got it right, Dani reeled. She blinked a few times, but kept her hold on Grace’s hand. The high woman seemed to like having someone to be grounded to, and Dani, to be honest, liked the personal touch.

“Why?” Dani finally asked.

A few times, Grace’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. It took a few seconds for the words to actually work, “Because ever since you moved in here, I’ve been… observing you. Not, like, stalking you, but seeing you, and you’re pretty. Everything about you is… captivating, but you spend all your time at work, or locked away in your room, I needed to get your attention somehow.”

Dani felt her breath taken away, “You could have just knocked.”

“The direct approach isn’t exactly my style.” Grace replied, tapping another bit of ashes from her joint. Her eyes were already a deep red. Who knew if anything she was saying was genuine, or the drugs were blowing it all out of proportion.

“Clearly.” Dani replied, almost charmed.

“I’m sorry.” Grace said, like a scolded child.

With that, Dani felt bad. Like she was punishing someone just for being lonely, she sighed, “Don’t just apologize to me, apologize to the whole apartment you wake up every night.”

Grace laughed, the joyful sound carrying on a bit longer than average, probably thanks to the weed.

“And, hey.” Dani placed her hand on Grace’s shoulder, “Next time you want a player two, just knock, okay?”

“Okay.” Grace’s smile signaled a spread of warmth in Dani’s chest. One she had been missing for years.

When Dani placed her controller back on the couch, ready to stand up, Grace pulled her back down.

“Can we do one more match?” Grace asked.

Dani didn’t expect the smile that cracked her face, nor could she stop it either, “I have to sleep. Thirty hours of work is going to run me into the ground.”

“Please, just one?” Grace’s bloodshot eyes burrowed into Dani’s, coaxing out a gentler, more playful version of herself that was hidden behind the exhaustion and anger. Grace had the kind of eyes, the kind of smile that could make Dani drop anything just for her.

“Fine.” Dani picked up the controller again, knowing she was going to be up for an all-nighter.

  
  
  
  



End file.
